Internal combustion engine



Dec. 24,- 1935.v A. M. STARR Y 2,025,362

Y INTERNAL COIBUSTION EHGIE Filed oct. 21, 19:52 4 s'eets-shee 1 A f MHonnef Dec. 24, 1935. A. M. STARR 2,025,362

INTERNAL COHBUSTION ENG'AINE Filed oct, 21, 1952 sheets-sheet 2.

l INKENTR. MM a2/1,

B f v ATTORNEY Dec. 24,"1935. l l A. M. STARR 2,025,362

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINEl Filed 001'.. 21, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 fwl-H j@ IN V EN TOR.

yf iToRNEY Dec. 24, 1935. A. M. STARR I INTERNAL COHBUSTION ENGINE Filedoct. 21, 1952 u 4 Sh'e-'ets-Sheet 4 I INVENTOR.

'ATToR/Ngy f Patented Dec. 24, 193s UNITED STATES PATENT or-FlcizyINTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Allan M. Starr, Piedmont, Calif., assignor,by

direct and mesne assignments, to Starr `Sweetland Corporation Piedmont,Calif., a corporation of California Application October 21, 1932, SerialNo. 638,866

tessuto 6 Claims. (01.'123-32) stricting the amount of air entering thecylinder' at each stroke. This is accomplished by my fuel injectingprinciple wherein I time the period of injection in accordance with theamount of fuel injected. 'I'his timing of the injection is so adjustedthat varied amounts of fuel injected for different throttle positionsare allowed to mix before ignition with substantially that portion ofthe air in the cylinder required to support the complete combustionofthe amount of fuel in- .jected. 'Ihat is to say, at full throttle whenit is desired to utilize all of the` oxygen in the cylinder theinjection occurs well in advance of ignition to allow time for turbulentdistribution of the fuel with all the air in the cylinder, whereas at.reduced throttle the fuel is injected ju t before ignition so that thesmall charge of fuel is mixed before ignition with only a small Vol1 umeof air adjacent to the spark plug. By this means I obtain a constant airintake cycle and hence a high efficiency throughout the throttle rangeof the motor.

Another object is to provide an engine wherein the timing of fuelinjection with reference to the position of the engine piston and thequantity of fuel injectedat each stroke are automatically correlated.

Another object is to provide an engine of the fuel injection typewherein ya portion of the residual heated gases of combustion areretained in a chamber adjacent to the cylinder without being exhaustedduring the scavenging stroke nor disturbed during the intake stroke efthe engine. The hot gases thus entrapped supply a heated atmospherethrough which each succeeding charge of fuel isv injected, with theresult that the atomized fuel charge is gassiiied (in part at least) andis thus prepared for explosion by the spark.

A further object is `to provide an engine cas` pable of utilizingnon-volatile` fuel oils and at the same time gain the advantages ofelectrical ignition, and consequently the highv speeds unattainable withthe Diesel type.

Another object is to provide an engine of light construction which iscapable of utilizing nonvolatile fuels but at the same time capable ofstarting without priming and without the as l sistance of auxiliarymachinery other than the starting mechanism employed on ordinaryautomotive vehicle engines.

A further object is to provde an engine which 10 by reason of itspeculiar construction is less inclined to overheat than gasoline enginesnow in use and which therefore may more readily lend itself to aircooling.

Another object is to provide an engine head which is interchangeablewith the engine head of y any ordinary carburetor type of gasolineengine So that at nominal expense any gasoline engine canbe converted soas to operate satisfactorily on a non-volatile fluid with a resultantincrease in eciency and economy.

A further object is to provide an engine suitable for automobile,airplane and motor-boat uses wherein the necessity of a highly Volatilefuel is f entirely eliminated and the great fire risk which prevailsparticularly in airplane and motor-boat installations is practicallyeliminated.

Another object is to provide an engine having a chamber capable ofretaining heated gases between the strokes of the engine and having thischamber so equipped with a fuel injector and spark plug that atomizedfuel is directed past the points of the spark plug and through theentrapped hot atmosphere and out the open end of the chamber into thecylinder space traversed by the piston.

Another object is to provide an engine capable of operating at highercompression ratios than carburetor type engines, without detonation.

Another object is to provide an engine which o eliminates the need of acarburetor and its attendant parts and which therefore has a bettervolumetric eiciency. This is because in my construction there are norestricted carburetor passages to hinder the intake air flow and becauseof the absence of fuel vapor in the intake air charge. By increasingvoiumetric efficiency more power is obtained from a cylinder of a givensize.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 represents a vertical sectional viewshowing a part of the upper portion of an engine embodying one forni ofmy invention together with a part of a fuel injection means for forcingfuel into the engine cylinder.

Figure 2 is an inverted plan view along the lines 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows avertical section of a portion of an engine of theoverhead valve type wherein my invention is embodied;

Figure '4 is an inverted plan view along the lines 4-4 'of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged view of fuel system used in conjunction with theapparatus shown in the preceding figures.

Figure 7 is a side elevationof an engine assembly wherein my inventionis utilized.

Referring to the details .shown in Figure 1, the numeral I indicates apiston which operates Within the cylinder walls 2 which are cooled inthe customary manner by water jacket 3. 4 is the wrist pin to Which theconnecting rod 5 is' secured in the usual manner and this connecting rodis assumed to be associated with the usual crank shaft fiy wheel andother parts commonly used in the internal combustion engine art. Thevalve 6 and its attendant parts are of the con- Ventional constructionemployed in' gasoline engines. One form of my invention as applied tothe conventional L-head motor is illustrated in detail in the enginehead of this figure wherein the head casting in general is representedby the numeral 'I which is cooled by the water jacket 8 and 8a, the headbeing secured to the cylinder block in Ithe usual manner by means of thestuds. 9 and nuts II which pull the engine head tightly against thegasket I2. It will be noted that the engine head is recessed to form thespace I3 which 'affords communication between the engine cylinder andthe exhaust and air intake valves, one of which is shown in this viewindicated by numeral 6.

An important feature of my invention resides n in the chamber I4 whichis formed in the head of the engine and which at its lower end is inopen communication with the cylinder. The spark plug I5 is received inthe threaded opening I6 and is provided with points I] which are exposedwithin the chamber I4, and are preferably located'at the very edge ofthe spray projected from nozzle 32. While the chamber I4 and the spaceI3 are in open communication withv each other itI should be noted thatthe casting is formed with a lip I8 which tends to deflect theair'rushing into the cylinder through space I3 in adownward direction sothat the incoming air produces theleast possible disturbance to thegases entrapped in the chamberl4. l

Surmounting the casting which forms the main head of the engine is thespring housing which is preferably of circular shape inits upper portionand hexagonal where indicated by the numeral 20 to permit it to begrasped by a wrench for assembly or removal and is secured to the headcasting by the threads 2 I. The part l 9 is hollowed out to receive thespiral compression spring 22 which bears against the flattened head 23of rod 24. 25 is a hexagonal-headed screw to adjust the tension of thespring F22 and isv held' in place by the lock nut 26.

The part I3 securely holds the-injector unit 2l in the position shownand in such manner that the fuel feed conduit 28 communicates with agroove 29 in the upper portion of injector unit 21 to deliver fuelthrough conduit 29a into the annular space 3l from which the fuel isinjected through the pintle nozzle 32. The circular aperture formed inthe axis of the Iinjector unit is ground to receive the plunger 33 whichis also ground and lapped to form a sliding fluid-tight fit within thebody of the injector. At the lower end of the injector unit and integraltherewith, and extending through the nozzle is a projecting tip 5 orpintle 34' which is preferably the form of a truncated cone with itslarge end downward. 'Ihe object of this aring tip is to cause theatomized fuel to discharge in a suitable jet for properly disseminatingthe atomized spray to pro- 1o mote distribution within the cylinder, yetgiving the spray such shape and direction that it will not impingeagainst the walls of the cylinder. -The portion 33 of the plunger 33 isground on its lower surface to t against a ground seat at ythe 15 innerend of the nozzle opening 32 and acts as a valve to keep the nozzleclosed except during the instant when the plunger 33 is raised by thehigh oil pressure which is -admitted by the opening of valve Illc. Theangle of the pintle 34 may be varied to suit the size and shape of thechamber I4. For instance if the chamber I4 is made of a high andcomparatively narrow design the nozzle 32 and the pintle 34 are soconstructed as to project the fuel in a comparatively narrow 25l spraybut if the chamber I4 is'of low wide construction, then`the angle of thetip 34 is increased to give more spread to the projected spray. InFigure- 3 the injector nozzle is represented in action to give a generalidea of the 30 f pumping and metering system (not shown in 40 thisfigure) which is assumed to deliver the liquid fuel under high pressure(say about 1,000 lbs. per square inch) to the annular space |03 whichsurrounds the valve stem |02, this valve stem being a continuation ofthe larger stem 45.

39 which is a ground fluid-tight fit within the walls 4I. At the lowerend of this stem is a removable collar 42 which forms a seat for thecompression spring I05 which maintains the ground valve I04c against theseat 45. The lower end 50 of the valve stem 46 in its normal positionjust clears the surface of the cam 48 which is caused to rotate inproper timed relation with the engine by means of the gear 49. The cam48 is provided with the lobe 98o which at the desired 55 `point of itsrevolution 'contacts with the stem 46 overcoming the oil pressure on'thevalve and the downward urge of the spring |05 and lifting the'valve I04coff of its seat when the pressure on the fuel system forces the' columnof fuel 60 upward through the conduit 52 through conduits 28 and 29 Aandannular chamber 3l when the high pressure ofthe oil against the lowerend of the plunger 33 overcomes the pressure of the spring 22 causingplunger l33 to rise slightly when 65 a jetof atomized fuel is veryrapidly and forcibly projected through the nozzle 32. Thus a spray offinely atomized fuel is projected through the heated gases in thechamber I4 and on into the cylinder to be later ignited by the sparkpro- 70 duced between the points I1 in accordance with the electricaltiming of the engine which is sub' stantially the same as theconventional timing for gasoline engines. The operation of the fuelinjection system will be clearly understood by itv Gil 9 reference tothe drawings and the description in any position that will produceexplosion of the given further on.

Figure 2 which is an inverted plan view on the lines 2-2 of Figure 1,shows the chamber I4,

. the spark plug points I1 and the tip of the in- :lector nozzle 34. Italso shows the chamber I3 and the lip I8 which deflects the incoming airor gases entering the cylinder, the openings 53 being the holes throughwhich the studs 9 pass to-secure the head to the cylinder block of theengine. While Figure 2 for convenience represents the head of only onecylinder, it should be understood that ordinarily the casting 1 wouldextend the full length of the cylinder block and would be provided witha number of chambers and other parts corresponding with the number ofcylinders in the engine.

Referring to Figure 3, this figure represents my invention as applied tothe overhead valve type of motor and since the same principles wouldapply in the overhead valve construction as would be used in the I -headtype just described, or in the T-head type of motor, the application ofmy invention to the overhead valve' type of Amotor will be understood bythose skilled.

in the art without repeating the description in minute detail. In thisfigure as in the foregoing ones, the body of the engine which may be ofconventional type, as well as the exhaust manifold and other parts whichhave no direct bearing upon the invention, have been omitted. It isclear that the overhead Valve construction re-L quires less compressionspace about the valves than the L-head type. This enables an overheadvalve motor to have more space in chamber I4 thanvan L-head motor of thesame size.

The sleeve valve -type of motor lends itself particularly well to myinvention since lall the compression space may then be utilized forchamber I4, but it has not been deemed necessary `to illustrate thesleeve type motor in this application as the principles for applying myinvention to the sleeve valve motor would be sub- 1 stantially the same.

In Figure 3 the piston l is represented as being in progress in itsupward compression stroke and the fuel is represented as beingdischarged from the nozzle 32 in a conical jet which forms an anglewithin the chamber I4 such that it clears the walls of the chamber butflares outwardly so as to mix thoroughly with the charge. of air whichis rapidly being compressed while a turbulent mixture of the incomingfuel is'be- I have foimd that the stream-line effect produced bycurvilinear walls about chamber I4 y have an advantageous effect and itis within the province of my invention to vary the curvature of thewalls of the chamber I4 or to employ any angle of flare for thesewallsthat may be best suited to carry out the objects of my inven- I tion.

wmlein Figure aasweuasin'mgurezr have illustrated the spark plugin acertain position with reference to the chamber I4, I do not limit mysdfto the particular position shown and it is within the scope of myinvention to use more than one spark plug within each chamber if desiredand to use such modified forms of spark plug or other electricalignition apparatus as maybe desired and to locate them charge by thepassage of an electrical charge.

Figure 4 is an inverted plan view of the engine head represented in'Figure 3 and taken along the line 4-4 thereof. In this gure the exhaustvalve may be represented by the numeral 56 and the intake valve (notshown in Figure 3) by the numeral 51. The spark plug points arerepresented by the numeral I1 and Referring to Figure 5 this representsa fuel system I may employ in carrying out the objects of my invention.In this gure 58 represents a fuel supply tank from which the pipe 59yleads the fuel through the tting 6I and conduit 62 past theball valve63 which is held on its seat by the spring 64, through conduit 65 intothe pump cylinder 66. From here the fuel is forced by the piston 61 pastthe discharge valve 88 through conduit 69 into the pipe line 1l which atits upper end is provided with the fluid pressure bottle 12. Thispressure bottle is designed to. be maintained full of fuel at a highpressure, say about 1,0()0 lbs. per square inch, and the metallic Wallsof this bottle possess suiilcient elasticityto act as a cushion andabsorb the pulsations of the pump and maintain a uniform pressure on thelower end of the fuel line 1I. The pump is driven by the shaft 13and'connecting rod 14 which may connect up with the engine crank shaft.

In order that the pressure of fuel may be kept within the bottle 12 thefuel pump is designed to pump a quantity of oil to supply the maximumrequirements of the engine and when the motor is not carrying its fullload the surplus fuel pumped discharges through the conduit15 and valve16 which is loaded by pressure of the compression spring 11 to maintainthe desired pressure within the bottle 'I2 and the fuel pipe 1I. Afterpassing the valve 16 the surplus oil returns to the pump supply line 59through pipe 18.

The fuelin line 1I passes through conduit 19 into the annular space 8iwhich is fornied by the reduced diameter of the valve stem where indi-4cated by the numeral 84. The lower part of the stem 82 is a ground andfluid-tight joint in the block 83 and at the extreme upper end of thestem is the valve 85 which is ground to a tight ilt in a conical seat ofthe block as shown. The stem 82 is actuated by cam 86 which is providedwith one lobe for each cylinder of the.

engine. In this instance there are assumed to be four lobes, two ofwhich are indicated by the numeral 81. The revolution of the cam shaft88 therefore lifts the valve 85 once for each shot of fuel r'equired bytheengine.

In order to provide the necessary adjustment in the quantity of fuel tomeet the varying requirements lof load and speed I provide the chamber89 which is in open communication with the rod 9| which is ground andlapped to a sliding duid-tight fit in the surrounding walls oi the block92. 'Ihis stem is provided with a collar 93 against which the heavycompression spring 94 is seated. 'From this construction, it` will benoted that the stem 9| is free to move in an upward direction when fluidenters the chamber 83 under sufficient pressure to overcome the pressureof the spring94.. When this occurs however the upward travel of the stemis limited by the position of the slidev 96 which acts as a throttle bywhich the flow oi' fuel to the engine is governed. This slide isprovided with an inclined surface 91 which acts as an abutment which theupper end of the stem 9|a strikes when the fluid pressure in the chamber89 forces the stem 9| upward.

When the engine is idling at its lowest speed slide 96 would be in itsforward position s0 that the slide would allow the stem 9|a to move avery slight distance. When it is desired to speed up the engine then theslide 86 is retracted and the stem 9| is permitted a movement equal tothe distance between the point 9Ia and the face of the inclined plane 91which is opposite the stem. In this manner the amount of fuel whichpasses the valve 85 at each contact of the lobes'81 with the lower endof the stem 82 is definitely regulated by the position of the slide 96,or throttle as it may be called. Now when the valve 85 is lifted toadmit' a charge of fuel into the chamber 89 the stem 9| is caused `torise by the high pressure of the fuel and this `as soon as a valveleading to an injector nozzle is opened, at which time the spring 94forces the stem 9| down to the limit of its travel forcing the oilcharge into the cylinder.

Leading from the chamber 89 is the conduit I 0I which connects chamber89 with the annular spaces below the valves so that the annular spacessurrounding the valve stems as shown at |03 are maintained full of fuelin readiness to discharge through the injector nozzle when one of 'thevalves such as |04, I04a, etc. is lifted fromits seat. These valves areactuated by the cams 98, 98a, 98h and 98e respectively which cams haveone lobe each positioned in-accordancewith the timing of the engine andcarried by the cam shaft 88 upon which the four lobe cam 86 is alsolocated. The four lobes 81 on the four lobe cam are timed between thelob'es on the cams 98, 98a, 98h and 08o so that when valve 85 is openthe valves |04, I04a etc. are closed and valve 85 again closes before avalve of the |04 series opens. With this arrangement it will be obviousthat as the cams lift the valves as shown at |04 in their firing order acharge of fuel is released under sufficient pressure to lift plunger 33and cause a forcible injection into each cylinder in its turn, it beingunderstood that the compression springs |05 and the oil pressure abovethe'valves are sufiicient to hold the valves |04 firmly on their seatsuntil they are lifted in their turnsby the cams 98, 98a, 98h and 98e.One of the fuel injectors removed from the engine is shown in thisligure, connected to the fuelv system.

I may vary the fuel system in many ways. For instance the valves of the|04 series may b'e placed radially about a central cam or cams.

Also, springs ,|05 may be located on the top of the valves instead ofbelow them, or under certain conditions the springs may be omitted, foror dinarily the oil pressure on the top of the valves would keep themseated. Y

'Ihe fuel system is operated by shaft 13 which is sumed to be connectedto the engine crank its driving grooves II2 and II3. vThe pin III issecured rigidly in the rotatingcollar I I4, so may be carried to or froor held in position by collar II4 which in turn is slid to or fro by theforked 10 'arm |I5 carrying pins |44v which ride in the groove |45 ofcollar ||4. With this mechanism the timing of the fuel injecting systemwith respect to the position of the engine crank shaft can be changed atwill while the engine is run- 15 ning. 'Ihe arm II5 is pivoted by pin|I6`and to the upper end of arm II5 is fastened the slotted link I|9 bymeans of the pin II8 which projects from the side of link I I9 and isopposite the end of slot |2I which is not cut clear through link' I I9.20

Link II9 is then pivoted on the end of arm |I5 by pin I I8 whichprojects from the unslotted surface of link-'I I9. The rod |43 extendsto thev operators control board where it can be set at any desiredposition. Moving the rod |43 rotates link 25 II9 on the axis of pin |I8and this changes the angle made between slot |2I and the horizontal lineof motion of slide 96. The throttle slide 96 carries the pin I 22 whichfits in the slot |2I.

The horizontal motion of pin |22 imparts a ver- 30 tical component tothe inclined slot I2 I, and since link I I 9 is held rmly by rod I 43 itcauses the arm I5 lto rotate about pin I I8 and `move collar yI I4 whichalters the injection timing. When the col- 'lar ||4 is in its right handposition the injection 35 the throttle is in idling position slide 96 isin 45 its right hand position and pin |22 is in the end of slot |2I justopposite pin ||8 and arm lI I5 is swung to retard the injection periodand to make it practically simultaneous with the timing of the spark.Now if the rod |43 were moved 50 there would be no consequent motion inarm II5 because link |I9 would rotate about its pin |I8 as well as thesliding pin 22. It will be noted that in this position the axis of pin|22 is on the axis'of pin IIIl. Therefore the retarded posi- 55 tion ofthe arm ||5 is not changeable by rod |43 when the throttle is in idlingposition. Whenever pin |22 is moved by the throttle slide so that itsaxis is not on that of pin II8 (as shown in Figure 5) there must be aconsequent mo- 60 tionv in arm IIS the amount of which depends upon theextent to which slot |2| is inclined. It will be noted that the angle ofinclination of slot I2I willl determine the amount ofA motion in arm ||5resulting from a given movement of 65 throttle 96. That is, if the slotI2I were horizontal the fuelinjection system would remain with retardedtiming regardless of the throttle position, and if the slot wereinclined about as shown in Figure 5 the fuel injection system would 70be fully advanced at full throttle, and if the slot |2| were inclinedjust a degree orso the fuel injection system would be advanced a cor..respondingly smallamount at .full throttle.

In considering the movement of link II9 and 75 Therefore 40 y arm lproduced by the pin |22 it should be remembered that when rod |43 islocked in position by ratchet |23 (Fig. 7) it may still swing about pin|44. -To this extent rod |43 is always free to move, and it will benoted that it must so move when arm |15 is actuated by the throttle.'I'his swinging motion of 'rod |43 will effect the movement of arm ||5produced bythe throttle slide but only to a verylslight degree. It iswithin the province of my invention to have slot |2| or the inclined`surface 91 any curved shape as well as straight so that the timing ofinjection is suitable for any setting of the throttle, which is'oneobject of my invention. In this way the desired contr'ol is obtained,whereby it is possible to make adjustments for various operatingconditions so that any change in the throttle position will beaccompanied by the most desirable change in the timing of the fuelinjection.

. The rod |43 is adjusted to give the best motor performance 4undervarious operating conditions. When starting a cold motor the fullthrottle is used with the injections occurring during the passing oftheignition spark (slot |2| is here set horizontal). Under theseconditions I find that the lheat of compression during the cranking ofthe engine is sufficient to enable the spark vplug to ignite the chargeto create at least a weak explosion, after which the hot gases from'thevexplosion tend yto volatilize succeeding charges of fuel and thus theoperation continues. With a` full throttle and low engine speed(lugging) the injection may be advanced tov begin during some part ofthe compression stroke, while with a full throttle and high engine speedthe injection'may be advanced to begin during the air intake stroke. Thetype offuel as well as the construction and compression ratio of themotor are also factors which determinethe setting of rod |43. In generalvthe more volatile the fuel, or the less its tendencyto detonate, thefurther it may be injected in `advance of` its ignition.

A desirable characteristic found in the operation of this fuel system isthat with the throttle set in a given position the amount of fueldeliveredfor each injectionY decreases as the engine o speed increasesand vice versa. The shape of the cams and the size of the valves andApassages determine the degree to which the amount of fuel injected isaffected by speed changes. The viscosityv of the fuel also determinesthe extent to which speed changes alter the amount of fuel injected; andsince fuels mayvary in viscosity it is within the province of myinvention to provide a needle valve 10 in line 1| to regulate theresistance which the system offers to fuel flow and thus maintain theproper relation for the change in the amount of fuel injected as aresult of changes in speed. I

Such a valve may be linked to the throttle mechanism or vcontrolled by agovernor for purposes of varying the resistance in the fuel line to meetspecial operating conditions.

It should be noted that the advance of timing of the injector mechanismwhich results in advance of timing of the actual injection as heretoforereferred tohas a dual purpose; one is to adjust timing of the injectorto compensatefor time lag, especially at high speed, and the other isactually toadvance the period of injection with reference to the crankangle.

`Referring to Figure '1.a conventional engine block |26 is representedas being equipped with the head mechanism and fuel system which form thesubject -matter of this invention. A. sumcient tle lever, similar to themanner shown in connumber of the parts shown in the drawings heretoforedescribed have been marked with reference numerals corresponding to thenumerals in the `detail drawings to enable the parts to be readilyidentified. These drawings assume the engine 5 to be installed in anautomotive vehicle wherein the throttle slide 96 is connected by the rod|21 .to the lever |28 which is controlled by the foot pedal |29 thespring |3E| acting to return the some of the exhaust gases return to thecylin- 20 ders in lieu of cold air. I accomplish this objectA byproviding the branch pipe |3| which connects with the exhaust manifold|32 and leads into the intake manifold through the pipe |33 and nozzle|34 which is directed into the intake manifold 25 |35 through an opening|36 where the heated gases mix with the outer air drawn into the intakemanifold through the opeings |31. While it maybe desirable to returnsome of the heated gases while idling at slow speeds, it is not desir-30 y able to admit them into the cylinder when the engine is carryingmuch of a load. I have therefore arranged by the mechanism sho-wn sothat as soon as thethrottle is slightly open and the engine given`anincreased fuel charge, the inflow of exhaust gases to the cylinder isautomatically shut ofi'. This is accomplished by means of the butteryvalve |38 which is here shownin open position. This valve is carried bya shaft to t which is secured the bell crank |39 the upwardly 40extending arm of which is caused to bear against the collar |4| by meansof the spring |42.' Since the pedal |29 is pushed downwards to open thethrottle this forces the rod |21 toward the left and the spring |42closes the butterfly valve |38. 45 Where it is desired to get thequietest and smoothest possible operation at idling speeds a butteryvalve may be placed in the air intake manifold andoperated inconjunction with the throt- 50 nection with valve |38. By this means theVibration caused by full compression at idling speeds is eliminated.

The perfect operation of my engine is attained by a combination ofvarious related devices. The cylinder head construction provides theentrapped hot atmosphere through which each charge of fuel is sprayedbefore it is combusted. It is by this construction that my engine iscapable of using the less volatile fuels successfully. The method offeeding fuel to the engine provides for correlation of the amount ofeach charge of fuel sprayed into the cylinder with the extent of theengines piston travel during which the fuel is imm-ed.l It is byv thismethod of feed- 65 ing fuel in combination with my cylinder headconstruction that it is possible to attain the extensive speed range andhigh engine speed as well as the economy of the constant air intakecycle of my engine.

When the engine is to develop its full power the fuel is sprayed intothe cylinder as the air is rushing in during the intake stroke andconse- Cil all this air drawn into the cylinder. An explosive mixturethen completely fills the engine cylinder.- When the engine is to run ata reduced throttle it is clear that there is more air in the cylinderthan is required to combust the small oris simultaneous with itsignition. For any throttle position the injection period is properlytimed to allow the fuelto mix with the proper amount of air beforecombustion. While I have i illustrated one mea-ns of correlating thefuel throtspace of the engine well in advance of ignition by tle withthe injector timer, I do not limit myself to the arrangement shown forthe same object may be carried out by various other arrangements oflevers and cams, or by an arrangement of plan'- etary gears to take theplace of the helical slot H3 and its attendant parts.

It should be Aemphasized that my engine is capable of operating toadvantage on gasoline or the like as well as the non-volatile fuel oils.

I do not limit myself .to the precise constructions of cylinder headshown in the accompanying drawings. The central axis of chamber I4 mayor may not be on the extended central axis of the cylinder bore asshown. Chamber I4 may be placed on one side of the top of th vcylinderbore and inclined so that the fuel charge may be directed toward thecenter of the piston top. Chamber I4 may be of any shape conforming withthe shape of the spray from any injecting nozzle. I prefer to havethevolume of chamber I4 equal to at least one third of the ttal volume ofthe compression space.'

The fuel nozzle may be of any construction that will atomize oil by theuse pf compressed air as well as the solid injecting principle shown.The spark plug may be of the present design or any modification thereofand I may combine the injector and properly arranged electrodes as aunit..

If desired the electrodes may bearranged at the mouth of the fuel nozzlein such a way that the electric discharge passes directly through thefuel jet issuing from the injector. I may provide means outside theengine to adjust the position of the electrodes within the chamber I4,and itis within the province of my invention to provide such adjustment.Y

I am aware that various forms of antechambers have been used inconnection with Diesel ,engines but the use of such chambers has been'for pur-- poses other than those herein described, and not for thepurpose of entrapping heated residual gases t'o be,utilized for heatingan atomized spray of fuel during the unrestricted 'passage of such spraythrough the chamber into the displacement a', spark.-

I also am aware that whatever may be Ithe Y shape of the compressionspace adjacent to an *a Wher'e I use the term compression space" I70engine cylinder, suchspace contains hot gases not rcmoved at the. endofthe exhaust-stroke and also this spacecontains gases heated bycompression at the end of each compressionl stroke, but the-presence of.these hot gases has no bearing upon the present invention. In thefirstplace residual exhaust gases in an ordinary compres- 'sion space aredissipated with theA intake air rendering them ineffective `for thepurpose herein described. In the second place,. gases heated bycompression are hot only toward the very end of. 5 f

the compression stroke and hence are inetIectlve in carrying out thepurpose of my invention.

' With my cylinder head construction a hot atmosphere is continuallypresent in chamber I4 which is essential in carrying out the objects ofAmy invention. Even when the engine is running with a light load and theexhaust is relatively cool it should be noted that the explosions arelocalized in chamber I4 and the hot gases from each explosion tend toremain in this chamber while the cooler intake and exhaust gases flow inand out of the cylinder. Now if the engine is suddenly to carry a heavyload this hot atmosphere is present to heat a larger charge of fuelregardless of the engine pistons position when 2o the injectionsbegins.Since the gases in chamber I4 are hotter 'than the gases in an ordinarycylinder head beforel compression occurs it is obvious that aftercompression occu'rs the atmosphere in the upper end of chamber .I4 willattain a temperature considerably higher than the tempera-f ture fromcompression in an ordinary cylinder head. It is the presence of thishigh temperature in the upper part of chamber YI4 which enables theordinary electrical ignition system efso ficiently to ignite fuel oilfor all operating conditions in this engine. In Figures l and 3 it willbe noted that the fuel `injecting nozzle and its attendant parts projectto'a certain extent into the chamber I4. tends to cause considerableheat from the explosive gases to be transferred to the nozzle casing andthe oil which it contains thus rendering the fuel more-readily vaporizedwhen it is sprayed in direct contact with the hot gases in the cham- 40ber I4. It is within the province of my invention to extend theprotrusion of this nozzle into chamber I4 to any desired extent; infact, I may Yso siderable extent. Whatever length or shape `ci!injection nozzle I may' employ I have found that it is always desirableto direct the nozzle toward the interior of the displacement part oikthecylinder and not against the walls of the cylinder and its associatedparts.

I reserve the right to apply the principles here- ,in described to anytype of'motor to which they are applicable, such as theV type and theradial or -rotary types etc. whether of the two cycle or four cycledesign.

' Where the term throttle bis used throughout this specification it isintended to mean any device for varying the quantity of fuel fed to theengine and is not necessarily limited to the means Aherein set forth.vWhere I use the term"hot gas chamber I refer to 'a special .chamberdesigned to entrap heatled gases from the explosion of the engine andretain them'in such manner that they are' not 65 discharged 'during thescavenging stroke of the engine, and so thatthey are not mixed to anygreat extent with the airI which rushes into the cylinder-during theintake stroke of the engine.l

refer particularly to` the space adjacent to the *engine cylinderwherein gases are compressed when the piston is at the top of itsstroke.

By ,displacement part of a cylinder I mean Thispiston as distinguishedfrom space in the upper portion of the cylinder that is not reached bythe piston in its normal travel. Y

When I use the term non-volatile fuel I mean a fuel that does notevaporate rapidly at normal atmospheric temperatures as distinguishedfrom volatile fuels such as gasoline or alcohol.

Where I use the term electrical ignition I mean ignition from periodicelectrical discharges such as those which cause sparks and in no way doI mean ignition from a wire heated by a continuous electrical flow.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

i. An internal combustion engine lincluding a cylinder head, a cylinderand piston, an elongated combustion chamber in said cylinder head, aninlet passage in said head leading downwardly and directly into saidcylinder, said inlet passage being adjacentsaid combustion chamber andseparated therefrom by a partition member constructed with a deflectinglip to direct the incoming air charge into the engine cylinder and awayfrom the combustion chamber, said combustion chamber havingcommunication ,withsaid cylinder and having a quiescent zone in the endremote from said cylinder wherein a minimum of turbulence. is produced,an injector nozzle and electrical ignition means in said zone, saidlnozzle,

being positioned to direct its spray adjacent said ignition means withinsaid zone and substantially toward said cylinder andl piston.

2. An internal combustion engine construction located to direct a sprayof fuel through said quiescent zone and chamber and substantially towardsaid cylinder, a spark mechanism in said chamber having a spark gapadjacent the opening in said nozzle, adownwardly-leading air intakepassage formed in said cylinder head adjacent said combustion chamber, apartition member in said cylinder head between said combustion chamberand said air intake passage having a portion which serves to deectthe'incoming air away from said combustion chamber and toward saidcylinder.

3. An internal combustion engine construction comprising a cylinder anda cylinder head,. an elongated substantially vertically disposedcombustion chamber in said head, said chamber being of reducedcross-sectional area at the end most remote from said cylinder andgradually increasing in cross-sectional area toward said cylinder, aninjector nozzle located to direct a spray of fuel through saidcombustion chamber toward said cylinder, a spark plug in said chamberhaving a spark gap adjacent the outlet of said nozzle, adownwardly-leadingair intake passage in said cylinder head adjacent saidcombustion chamber, a downwardly opening air valve to control saidpassage, a partition member in said cylinder head between saidcombustion chamber and said air intake passage having a portion whichserves to deiiect the incoming air away from said combustion chamber andtoward said cylinder. yi5 4. An internal combustion engine including acylinder head, a cylinder and piston, a combustion chamber in saidcylinder head, said combustion chamber being elongated upwardly andhaving its walls converging toward the end most re- 10 mote from saidcylinder to produce a quiescent zone of comparatively little turbulenceat the end of said chamber most remote from said cylinder, al fuelinjection nozzle in said quiescent zone located to direct a sprayof.fuel through said quies- 15 cent zone and combustion chambersubstantially `toward said cylinder, a spark gap in said quiescent zoneadjacent said nozzle, .a downwardlyleading air intake passagewayin saidcylinder head, separating means between said air intake 2o passagewayand said" combustion chamber, said separating means including a lipmember-acting to deilect the intake air downwardly into said cylinderand prevent said intake air from directly entering into said combustionchamber. 25 5. An internal combustion engine including a cylinder head acylinder and piston, intake andv exhaust passageways in said cylinderhead, engine-timed valves mounted in said cylinder head to control saidpassageways, a combustion chamber in said cylinder head, said chamberbeing elongated upwardly to provide a quiescent zone in the end thereofmost remote from said cylinder, a fuel injection nozzle in saidquiescent zone located to direct a spray through said quiescent zone andcombustion chamber substantially toward said cylinder, a spark gapin-said quiescent zone adjacent said nozzle, the said air intakepassageway leading downwardly through said cylinder-head into saidcylinder, and being separated from said quiescent zone and saidcombustion chamber by a wall havinga deflecting lip which defiects theincoming air downwardly into said cylinder and prevents direct entrancethereof into said combustion chamber and said quiescent zone. 1

6. An internal combustion engine construction q comprising a cylinderand a cylinder head, an elongated combustion chamber in said head, saidchamber being of reduced cross-sectional area at the end most remotefrom said cylinder, an injector nozzle located to direct a spray of fuelthrough said combustion chamber toward said cylinder, a sparkplug insaid chamber having a spark gap adjacent the loutlet of said nozzle, adownwardly leading air intake passage in said cylinder head adjacentsaid combustion chamber,

a downwardly opening air valve to control said passage, a partitionmember in said cylinder head between said combustion chamber and saidair intake passage having a portion which serves to deflect the incomingair away from said combustion chamber and toward said cylinder.

ALLAN M. STARR.

